


In the Woods

by HolyTrinity



Category: GOT7
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-20 15:12:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4792259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolyTrinity/pseuds/HolyTrinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I am called Mark," </p><p>"My true name is Yien," </p><p>"I was chased away from my home by those same hunters that came here. They know how to hurt me,"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The fox looks like this one: https://youtu.be/C7wRb9adQUc?t=4m38s

The fox runs fast and swift, the underbrush and branches not even an issue. He jumps over, ducks under, and runs straight through when it's necessary. All the fox knows, all he remembers, is that he needs to get away. He runs until his paws hurt, but it's nothing compared to his side, and he keeps pushing on.

When he can't run any longer, the fox pants, looking around for shelter of any kind. What he finds is not what his kin would usually choose, but the fox is too big for burrows. A cave, this cave, seems to be perfect. The fox is injured, heavily at that, and so he limps inside without much consideration. He hurts all over and wants nothing more than to find a place to lick at his wounds.

Inside the cave, the fox finds that it is empty. There is a scent here, but it's hidden under the strong scent of the fox's blood. The fox limps about and finds a little entrance in the cave. It's much smaller than the cave itself, but the fox finds that not much can enter it. So, he ducks inside and goes as far back as the smaller cave goes. Once he's settled, he checks over himself.

The fox isn't very big, but he has several tails, nine to be exact. If he'd had any less, he wouldn't be in the situation he was forced into. Instead of mulling over his fate, the fox licks at his wounds, cleaning them. He finds that his worst wound is the one on his side, and he works hard to clean it. He'll heal soon, but he's exhausted and that calls for healing to be even slower.

With his side clean, the fox sniffs at his other wounds too. His paws are raw, but that's the least of his worries at the moment. His tails are fine and he grooms himself as much as he can. He's careful not to put too much weight on his side, or to stretch too much. He can't groom himself like he wants too, so he still looks worse for wear when he eventually loses the fight to sleep.

The fox wakes up what feels like moments later. He doesn't understand why he's awake, until he hears movement. The fox goes still, his ears flicking as he listens as intently as he can. There's something big moving about, inside the cave. The fox berates itself for not recognizing the scent earlier, but he was wounded and nearly delirious with exhaustion and pain.

As it is, he wouldn't stand a chance against whatever is out there, so he presses himself against the cold rock behind him. He hopes that whatever is out there, cannot fit into his little area. He has entered something else's territory, but he hopes it'll be overlooked.

The fox is tense the entire time the other thing moves about. He doesn't recognize the scent at all, but that doesn't mean he's in the clear. Whatever it is hasn't passed the entrance of his cove, but the fox is well aware that it must know he's there. The fox can hear the other thing's heartbeat, so it must hear his, racing like a rabbit.

The fox listens with all he is, and eventually, something appears near the entrance. It's a paw, a very big one. The fox stares, well aware that his paw has nothing on the paw out there. The paw doesn't invade his little hiding spot. Instead, whatever owns the paw just stays there for a moment. 

The fox can hear the thing sniffing, but it doesn't make any aggressive noises. The paw disappears after a moment and the fox can just barely hear the thing moving away. The fox is confused and afraid, which is a bad combination, but he doesn't move. He stays entirely still, unsure as to what the creature was going to do to him.

After several long moments, the fox's stress rising with each second, the paw returns. The fox considers going on the aggressive, but he's too wounded to stand much of a chance. The fox has only seen the paw of the other creature, but he knows for a fact he's the prey in this situation. The fox's nose twitches when it scents blood, blood that doesn't belong to him. His wound is healing, slowly, sluggishly, but it's healing.

It takes the fox a moment to realize the blood is coming from the cave and the fox finds out what it belongs to when something lands next to the paw by the entrance of his hiding spot. The fox watches as the paw nudges the thing into the entrance, careful of not putting its paw inside, and the fox recognizes the scent of rabbit. It's a big rabbit too, young and fat.

The creature paws the rabbit inside a little further, but makes no other moves to enter. The fox stares at the rabbit, his stomach and his instincts making the decision for him. Carefully, he shifts up and bites the ear of the rabbit, pulling it towards him. The paw stays for a moment longer before turning away. 

The fox waits for the paw to return, but it doesn't, so he eats. It's the best meal the fox has had in weeks and he's starving. He tears into the rabbit and once he's had his fill, he sleeps, his belly warm and full for the first time in a long time.

When the fox wakes up, he feels sore. He had ran himself ragged and this was his first real rest in weeks. The fox sniffs about, ignoring the scent of the rabbit and himself. He can smell the other creature, but it's stale. The other is not here. 

Slowly, carefully, the fox exits his little hiding spot. He's slightly bigger than the entrance itself, but he can fit once he's past. Out in the main cave, the fox sees what he missed the night before. It isn't much, but the fox can tell this place is lived in. He sees the bones the other must've chewed on the night before. They're all towards the back of the cave, where the other most likely sleeps.


	2. Chapter 2

The fox doesn't stick around for long and instead slips out of the cave into the large forest he'd gotten lost in. The fox sniffs around, noting that the other went towards the right. The fox goes in the opposite direction, unsure as to what will happen if he actually encounters the other. Instead, the fox checks out the lay of the land.

He finds a stream not too far away from the cave. Delighted, the fox drinks his fill. He cleans himself afterwards, careful of his wounds. It's hard work cleaning all of his tails when he's injured. It especially hurts to turn to get at the middle ones, but he tries his hardest. There's this annoying twig in the tip of one of them, sticking out of the small white fur that makes up the tip of his tails. He can't reach it, and that bothers him.

However, there's nothing the fox can do. He knows it'll just be harder to remove the longer it's in there, but his wound threatens to open whenever he tries. Instead, the fox settles down, taking a breather after the hard task. When he's healed, it won't hurt at all to clean himself fully, but until then, he'll have to be careful of his movements.

Eventually, the fox gets up and goes looking around again. This area is foreign to him and he wants to become acquainted with it. He sniffs about, surprised when he easily detects the scent of the other creature. He'd totally overlooked it when he was running, but it didn't help that his own fear clogged up his senses. 

With a little shake, the fox continues on, looking around. The fox eventually gets bored and heads back towards the cave. He isn't sure what he's expecting, but a massive wolf relaxing in front of the cave isn't it. The fox has seen plenty of wolves, both normal and were, and this wolf was easily the biggest, and the wolf was lying down.

The fox hesitates, going completely still as he takes in the wolf. It looks like the dire wolves of old, but still bigger. The fox is much bigger than his normalized kin, but he isn't nearly as big as this wolf is. It kind of soothes the fox, knowing that the wolf couldn't fit into the fox's hiding spot even if it wanted to. However, the fox is well aware that he is not in his smaller cave, but in the open.

The fox considers bolting right when the wolf looks at him. The wolf has bright golden eyes that focus on him immediately. However, the wolf doesn't make any aggressive movements. Instead, it huffs and lays its head down on its large paws. The fox watches the wolf, carefully stepping forward. The wolf doesn't move.

Gaining some courage, the fox makes its way over. The wolf watches, but otherwise doesn't seem interested. In fact, once the fox is close enough, the wolf closes its eyes and makes no move to open them. The fox isn't sure if he should be insulted, but he doesn't give himself enough time to think about it. 

Instead, he darts inside the cave, going straight for his little inner cave. He's surprised when he finds another rabbit waiting for him. He looks back, towards the entrance, but the wolf is still dozing. It seems more like the wolf is sunning itself. The fox takes the rabbit, of course he does, and slips inside his inner cave. He eats his meal, well aware that he could hold out on eating, he just doesn't want to. 

When he finishes, he noses all the bones out of his part of the cave, slipping out to continue the nosing out of the actual cave. He finds that the wolf is still outside, as if he hasn't moved since the fox entered the cave. The fox eyes the wolf for a bit, watching the way its tail moves, slowly, unbothered and at ease. The fox wishes he could be so at ease.

The fox sits and nibbles at the bone for a while, wondering what the wolf will do. The wolf doesn't do anything. His ears flick towards where the fox is making noise, but the wolf otherwise ignores him. The fox stays out in the open then, busying himself with chewing on the bones.

The day goes on in this manner, the fox carefully picking a bone he wants to munch on, mostly to busy himself. The wolf continues to doze although he isn't too deeply asleep because his ears twitch often. The sun is starting to disappear behind the trees when the wolf stands. The fox is so used to their silence and the wolf's general stillness, that he startles a little.

The wolf doesn't look at the fox. Instead, he shakes his fur out, leaning back on his haunches, front legs spread out as he stretches. He yawns, sharp, white teeth bared. However, the fox knows an intimidation tactic when he sees one, and he's surprised to note that this isn't one. The wolf is genuinely stretching himself.

After he's shaken himself out, the wolf straightens up and heads off. The fox doesn't know where the wolf is going, but he finds himself too curious to stay where he is. So, he hops up and trots after the wolf. The fox knows the wolf can hear him, and he's pleasantly surprised when the wolf doesn't try to chase him off.

The fox remains a couple steps behind the large wolf, realizing that he could fit between the wolf's legs, he's that big. Eventually, the wolf stops moving and the fox does the same. It takes him a minute to realize this wasn't just a stroll, but the wolf is hunting. Considering his size, the fox isn't surprised to note that the wolf eats often.

The fox watches the wolf hunt, sneaking behind the wolf as he goes about his business. The wolf's target tonight is an elk. The elk is rather young, but quite big. However, it doesn't stand a chance against the wolf. The wolf's quickness belies how big he is because the fox isn't expecting him to be as fast as he is. However, one moment the wolf is crouched low and the next he's sinking teeth into the elk's neck.

The elk gives a good fight, but the wolf kills him rather quckily. His canines are scarily large and do some serious damage, nearly decapitating the elk on the first bite. The fox figures that since he's around, the wolf doesn't see a reason to drag the elk back to the cave. Instead, he sniffs at the elk before promptly tearing off a hind leg.

The fox stays where he is, aware that it'll probably be a while before he can eat. He's proven wrong when the wolf drops the leg in front of the fox before going to grab one for himself. The fox doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth, instead choosing to eat. This is a new experience for the fox, but he realizes that this wolf isn't an ordinary wolf.

His size already shows that he's not a normal wolf, that and the fact that he obviously doesn't have a pack. The fox knows that weres usually stay in packs. Wolves are social creatures, it's hard for them to survive without a pack. However, this wolf seems to be doing even better than fine. The fox wonders about if the wolf ever had a pack, but decides to not ask questions.

When the wolf is done eating, he stands and starts heading back towards the cave. The elk still has meat on it, but the fox can see the other predators lurking, much smaller than the wolf, waiting for their turn. The wolf, apparently, has other animals that depend on him even though he doesn't seem to interact with them like he interacts with the fox. The fox is well aware that that's because he invaded the wolf's home. He's still surprised he's alive after such an insult, well fed even.


	3. Chapter 3

The fox doesn't stick around when the wolf leaves. He's had his fill and quickly follows after. The wolf doesn't acknowledge him, but he doesn't seem upset to have a follower. Back at the cave, the wolf plops down near the entrance. The fox considers going inside, but finally decides against it. 

Slowly, he moves closer. The wolf notices him, of course he does, but doesn't do anything. When the fox is close enough to feel the wolf's heat, he sits down. The wolf eyes him before sighing, but he doesn't do anything. The fox starts grooming himself, the twig starting to irritate him. The wolf watches him struggle for a while before sighing again.

The fox doesn't see it coming, so he's surprised when the wolf shifts closer. The fox goes still, a little worried his life is going to be ended. Instead, the wolf simply goes through his tails, looking for the one that has a twig tangled in it. When he finds it, the fifth one, he pins it down, carefully, and works the twig out.

The fox relaxes after a moment and lays back down. He watches, almost sleepily, as the wolf removes the twig. He loses a small amount of fur, but it'll grow back, so he isn't worried. The fox doesn't even realize when he falls asleep.

When the fox wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by warmth. The fox wiggles around for a moment, trying to figure it out, and finds himself wrapped up in wolf. The fox's tails are curled up, properly groomed and the fox finds himself thankful. It always drives him crazy when his tails aren't properly groomed and yet all nine of them are in perfect condition.

The fox is a little worried considering he tends to get negative reactions to the amount of tails he has. However, the wolf is wrapped around him, the fox's tails lying on his, and the wolf is peacefully sleeping. The fox finds himself relaxing, dozing off again.

When he wakes up again, the wolf is awake. He knows it because the wolf's tail is hitting him in the face. It isn't painful or anything, just annoying. The fox opens his eyes right when the wolf's tail hits him again. He waits, patient, and lunges the next time the tail hits him.

The wolf grunts when the fox bites him, but the fox is careful. The wolf moves his tail, the fox letting go, paws at the ready. The tail comes right back, a little harder now that the game has changed. The fox wraps his paws around the tail and nips at it, but the wolf just grunts and wiggles his tail as much as he can.

They play around like that for a bit before the fox is fully awake. When he is, he sniffles and stands up. If he hits the wolf with several of his tails, it's nobody's business. When he turns, the wolf is staring at his own nose. It scrunches, and then the wolf sneezes. Once he's done, he stands up and huffs at the fox, moving over. 

The wolf is so much bigger than the fox, that it doesn't take long for him to catch up. When he does, he noses at the fox's side until the fox falls over. The fox makes a noise that would be similar to a laugh when the wolf keeps nosing him over. Surprisingly, he's not scared the wolf is going to kill him. In fact, he hasn't actually thought about it seriously in a while.

The wolf stops after a moment, pausing to check at the fox's side. The fox is wheezing a little, but not in pain. The fox watches as the wolf sniffs at him, apparently checking his wound. It's much better now, but it still tugs at him uncomfortably when he does certain things. Apparently chasing a wolf's tail is not it.

When the wolf is content that he hasn't opened the fox's wound, he walks off, thick tail hitting the fox in the face very much on purpose. The fox yaps about it and hurries to catch up. He doesn't know where the wolf is going, but being by himself seems more boring.

The wolf ends up showing him the extent of his, well, their territory. He shows the fox the good places to hunt, where a family of rabbits usually stick around and populate. Despite seeing elks, there are a surprisingly large amount of deer in the area. The wolf catches a buck, with antlers reaching towards the sky, and allows the fox to eat his fill.

The fox's life goes on in this fashion. He relaxes with the wolf, finding himself feeling more at home than where he was before he was chased off. The wolf is playful with the fox, very aware and careful of their size difference. 

He doesn't seem bothered at all by how many tails the fox has, until the fox comes up to him, twigs stuck in most of them. That's the only time he seems put out by them, but he always grooms him until the twigs are gone and the fox is asleep.

Days turn into weeks turn into months and winter is starting to come around. When it does, the fox finds himself becoming lethargic. He doesn't actually need to hibernate considering he's not a normal animal. However, it's colder and he finds that he doesn't really care for cold weather. He's more of a fire fox really.

The wolf doesn't seem to care either way. Of course he notices the fox's lethargy, he notices everything. During the seasons they've been together, they've gotten closer. The wolf is the fox's best and only friend. The wolf likes him back, of course, although he's usually all aloof, until the fox hits him in the nose with his tail or nips at the wolf's tail, then he gets indignant and huffy.

The wolf hunts. The fox can hunt too, and he does, but it's harder for him to get bigger meals. He can get does, but bucks are usually much bigger than the fox. If he really wants to, he can, but it tires him out. Plus, the wolf enjoys hunting for them. So, the fox hunts the rabbits, finding the fattest ones and sharing them with the wolf. The wolf always eats whatever the fox hunts, no matter if there's a fresh kill much bigger than whatever the fox found.

They do settle down in the cave. Snow covers their terrority, driving most of their prey to ground or somewhere else. If the wolf was a normal wolf, he'd probably be off looking for a new area. However, he's so much more and the weather doesn't seem to bother him at all.

He fattens the two of them up and they tuck up in the cave. The fox doesn't sleep in the mini cave anymore. He stopped doing that months ago, and instead tucks himself up against the wolf when it's time to sleep. The wolf is much warmer than the cave wall.

The fox doesn't sleep during the entire winter, but he doesn't leave the cave. He can't, not really, because snow has covered it. He can just barely see into the darkness of the cave, but when he's awake, he usually pounces on the wolf until he wakes up. They play during those lulls before going right back to sleep, having tired each other out.


	4. Chapter 4

Spring comes around slowly and the fox wakes first. He moves about, finding the entrance that is covered in packed snow. The fox scratches at the snow, finding it hard to move. He licks at it, something he's done often during his time awake in the winter. It helps soothe his dry throat, but his simple licks won't be making any openings.

The fox stares at it for a moment before going over to his companion. The fox crawls all over his companion, long past being worried about the wolf even considering harming him. The wolf wakes up sometime around when the fox is standing on the wolf's back. The wolf's ears twitches, pointing towards the fox and the fox yips. 

It takes a minute for the wolf to wake up fully, but when he does, the fox butts him over towards the entrance. He's worried they won't be able to get out. The wolf doesn't seem worried at all. Instead, he nudges the fox over, keeps pushing him until the fox is scrambling into his small inner cave. He hasn't used it in so long, he almost forgot it was there.

Once he's properly inside, the wolf trots away. The fox doesn't know what the wolf does, but he can hear movement. At one point, his little cave fills with sweltering heat and the fox whines. The heat is gone as quickly as it came. The fox still waits until the the wolf's paws are in front of the space. 

The fox immediately scrambles out, his tails nearly getting tangled in his rush. He sees the wolf first, sitting there patiently. Behind him, the entrance is clear as if snow hadn't been there mere moments before. The fox looks at the wolf curiously, but all the wolf does is snort. However, the fox knows for a fact he isn't seeing things when smoke curls out of the wolf's nose. His wolf is definitely different from any other type of wolf, that's for sure.

The fox trots out of the cave. It's still cold out, but he can see signs of growth as the snow melts. He reacquaints himself with the forest, the wolf slowly following after him. The fox barrels on, yipping his happiness as he goes about, stretching his legs. 

When he tires himself out, the wolf comes over and drops a rabbit before him. The rabbit's fur is still white and the fox happily eats. It's been a while since he last had a meal, but he finds he isn't as hungry as he thought he'd be. 

When he finishes, he slinks over towards the wolf, curling up in his normal spot. Like usual, the wolf curls around him, his tail coming around so the fox can settle his tails on the wolf's. They doze under the sun for the first time in a long time.

Spring brings fresh flowers and curious prey. The fox chases squirrels around simply because he can. The wolf is back at the cave entrance, sunning himself. He hasn't done anything special, like whatever he did to remove the packed snow before the entrance to their cave. However, nothing changes between them. 

The fox is chasing another squirrel, one that has realized that this is a game it will survive in the end, and it gives the fox a very hard time. The fox is elated, until his ear is nearly shot off. The fox falters and the squirrel shoots off, aware that game time is over.

The fox sees a hunter, one he hasn't seen in a very long time. The hunter sees him too, of coures he does, and the smile that splits his face sends fear through the fox's heart. He shoots off, immediately heading towards his sanctuary. This hunter knows how to hurt the fox, but he doesn't know about the fox's wolf.

The fox calls for the wolf, a sound calling for help. He's learned that the wolf's senses stretch further than the fox's and he's sure the wolf can hear him. The hunter gives chase and the fox realizes the hunter is not alone. Of course not. Hunters are like pack animals, and the fox is their prey, their very prized prey. The fox can even smell the hounds trained to take down foxes like the fox.

The fox's paws thunder across the underbrush and he hears rabbits running for their own homes. He can hear the barks and yowls of the dogs. He can hear the hunters jeering as they run, hears a bullet race past his ear. He tucks his tails in close and speeds up, afraid. 

However, it doesn't take long before the wolf is there. The fox practically bumps into the wolf and easily ducks into the space between his front legs, tails rubbing against the wolf's belly. With the fox properly placed, the wolf ducks his head down just as the hunters and their dogs skid into the area.

They hadn't been expecting the fox to have a wolf. Foxes and wolves aren't known to get along that well, but this fox and this wolf are a different story. The wolf growls, a scary noise the fox does not hear often, if at all. The wolf's golden eyes are gleaming and the dogs immediately back off.

The hunters notice this in surprise. Their dogs are trained to take on normal wolves and werewolves, but their hunting dogs are tucking tail, whining and showing throat to this massive wolf. The hunters exchange glances. There are only four of them, they cannot take on a wolf of such size, especially when their own dogs are backing off.

The wolf lowers his head even more, nearly touching the top of the fox's head. He growls again and the fox can't see it, but the hunters watch smoke curl from between the sharp daggers that make up the wolf's teeth. The hunters have never seen something like this and they immediately decide that now is not the time to attack.

They back up then, and the wolf watches them, considering. He could kill them, he should kill them, so they won't return for his fox. However, his fox is afraid, very afraid, and so the wolf's priority is to get them away. When the hunters are far enough away, the wolf shifts back and grabs the fox by his scruff. The fox startles, but goes limp when the wolf lifts him up.

The wolf turns and makes his way back towards their cave. He puts the fox down inside the cave and starts grooming him. The fox is shaking, but he relaxes and calms down under the soothing minstrations. Before long, the fox is drifting, eyes slitting. When the fox is asleep, the wolf finishes up his work and leaves the cave.

The wolf retraces his steps and finds the scent of the hunters and their mutts. The wolf doesn't much care for animals who help humans capture other animals. With a sniff of disdain, the wolf follows their scent. It goes back towards civilization which is quite far from where the wolf resides. The wolf wonders how the hunters got so deep in, they probably got lost.

Eventually, the trees begin thinning, but the wolf doesn't go any farther. He doesn't like dabbling in civilization. Instead, he glares at the hunter's trail before turning and heading back towards their cave. The fox is still asleep when he returns so the wolf wraps around him again and keeps watch for a long while. He does fall asleep eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

The next couple of days are a little strained. Not between the wolf and his fox, but in the woods in general. Most of the animals there have never seen a two legs before. Most of them have only heard stories about them, about what happens when humans enter nature. 

However, the young animals are soothed by their elders, reminded that they have one of the strongest beings in the universe protecting them, protecting their forest. That lessens the strain until it goes away. They eventually stop worrying about the humans, but they don't forget that they've been found.

The fox shows his wolf his human form shortly after that scare. It isn't something he planned, but it happens. The fox is sunning himself, sitting right before their main source of water, a waterfall that drops into a pool the fox loves swimming in. The fox is fully healed by now and so he can groom himself how he likes, but he finds that now, he likes the way his wolf grooms him. 

The wolf is lying next to him, dozing really. The fox realizes that he has not taken on his human form in what feels like centuries. He hasn't taken on his human form since he was chased from his home, and that was nearly a year ago.

The fox glances at his wolf, who is peacefully sleeping, and makes a decision. He stands and makes his way towards the water. He's under the spray of the waterfall when he starts changing. It's been so long, it feels weird changing forms. He's been so used to being on all fours, that growing arms, ones with fingers and thumbs is so very different.

Once the change is over, the fox opens his eyes. He's taller, of course he is, and he finds himself looking for his wolf. His wolf is still near the bank, but he isn't asleep. Instead, his golden eyes are watching what used to be his fox. In his fox's place is a human with red hair and fair, sun kissed skin.

The wolf tilts his head as the human, one that was his fox, comes towards him. He's careful, watching his wolf as he wades towards him. The wolf doesn't move, not even when the human exits the water. The wolf sits up then, a head taller than the human.

The fox in human skin watches his wolf carefully, worried. He's so anxious now, worried that his wolf will not accept him in this form. It isn't his natural form, his wolf has seen that, but it's still who he is. The wolf watches him, tilting his head one way before turning it the other way. He is aware that this human is his, he watched his fox shift into it, but it's been a while since he's been before a humanoid figure who didn't want to hurt him.

After a moment, the wolf leans down and the human stills, waiting. However, the wolf doesn't do anything, just noses at his hair, as red as his fur had been. It feels different from his fur, but the human doesn't have much hair on him, besides the stuff above his eyes and sprouting from the lids that protect his eyes, his human doesn't have anything else.

Considering this, the wolf decides that his human must be cold, and wet, so he noses his human over, tucking him against his side. The human, upon realizing his intention and the reason behind it, finds himself hugging his wolf. He laughs then, laughs before he cries, but he cries anyway.

They stay like that for a moment until the wolf lies down. The human snuggles up against him and tries to remember what it felt like to speak. Making fox noises is easy because he's only displaying an array of emotions. 

Speaking though, with human vocal cords and human meanings, comes harder. He's spent nearly a year in his true form, so it's hard for him to collect the words. However, he wants his wolf to know more about him, so he finds the words.

"I am called Mark," the human fox says, his voice scratchy from disuse. The wolf turns, one golden eye blinking at him.

"My true name is Yien," the fox tells him, feeling the power swell behind the usage of his name. The wolf blinks again, but stays focused as Mark runs his fingers through his wolf's fur.

"I was chased away from my home by those same hunters that came here. They know how to hurt me," Mark admits and the wolf growls. Mark pets the space between his eyes before scratching behind his ear. The wolf grumbles some more, but settles.

"They know about foxfire," Mark says and the wolf's ears twitch.

"Mine," he says, lifting a hand to his stomach, right over his belly button, "I keep it right here. I thought about burying it, but I travel too much," Mark says. 

"If anyone gets my foxfire, I'll have to do whatever they ask. If it's broken, I'll die," Mark tells him. The wolf squints in a seemingly unhappy manner until Mark scratches behind his ear again.

"So far I've been doing well. But these hunters, they just hate fox spirits. I think they've experienced some bad seeds and have garnered a stereotype," Mark admits. The wolf grumbles and Mark figures his wolf knows the feeling.

"They chased me into these forests, but I didn't expect them to come looking again," Mark mutters, frowning.

"I think they're going to keep coming after me, and humans will learn about this place," Mark says. The wolf grumbles at that, shifting about. Mark isn't sure what his wolf is trying to do until the wolf nudges at him. The wolf's nose is cold and Mark shies away, the wolf following after him. The wolf does his version of tickling until Mark's laughter turns into yips.

Back in his fox form, Mark smacks at his wolf's nose with his tail before running off. His wolf chases him and Mark keeps up the game. He feels closer to the wolf now, now that his wolf knows. It's not everything, but it's what's important. They race throughout their forest, switching who chases who, until the sun goes down and Mark's stomach growls. The wolf hunts then. They eat, laze around, and then return to their cave to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Mark almost forgets about the hunters. Spring is coming to a close and summer is right around the corner. Mark shifts to his human form a few more times, but usually spends his time in his true form. His wolf accepts him in either form, so Mark doesn't feel pressured to stay in either one.

At the moment, Mark finds himself sitting underneath a tree. There's nothing special about the tree at all, it just gives off enough shade. Mark is dozing really, but he's also thinking. He's been thinking about something long and hard since he told the wolf about himself. He paws at the grass beneath him.

He stays there for a while, just thinking. He even ignores the squirrels he usually chases. They seem to be searching for food anyway, so Mark doesn't bother them. After a while though, Mark makes up his mind and returns to their cave. His wolf has returned at the same time as him, the leg of a dead elk in his jaws.

Mark momentarily forgets about his idea at the sight of food, and he trots over. Their meal is consumed quickly and once Mark's belly is full and warm, he remembers why he returned so early. Mark gets closer to his wolf, siddling in close. The large wolf eyes him, probably thinking Mark wanted to be groomed. That's usually how he got the wolf to do it.

Instead, Mark shifts about. It feels weird, what he's about to do. However, he's made up his mind and he's going to stick with it. His foxfire isn't very large, not big at all. It's the size of a dollar coin, but round like a ball. It glows blue with the fire that keeps Mark alive. He's never really understood why his foxfire could be away from him if it's what keeps him alive, but magick isn't easily understood.

He noses his foxfire towards the wolf. The wolf looks at it, sniffs at it even, then glances at Mark. Mark just sits back, watching him carefully. This is important to him, he's just offered his wolf his life. He watches the wolf, pleased when the wolf carefully takes it into his mouth. He is very careful of his sharp teeth, and then tips his head back. Mark isn't sure where it goes, but he doesn't die, so he doesn't see the point in worrying about it.

In fact, he feels relieved, like a weight has lifted off his entire body. Mark finds himself relaxed, beyond relaxed in fact. He snuggles down against his wolf and falls asleep.

 

The hunters do return. They come in bigger numbers, with bigger dogs, werewolves with thick silver collars wrapped tight around their throats. Mark is alone when one sniffs him out. Mark stares at the wolf who would probably be big in werewolf standards. However, Mark's wolf is so much bigger so Mark's not as scared as he could be.

The wolf is alone, and actually stumbled upon Mark purely on accident. They stare at each other, but Mark's the one who snaps out of it first. He isn't weak, not even close, and the wolf is alone, so Mark growls, ducking his head down. The wolf snaps out of it then and then he's snarling too.

They circle each other, Mark lunging forward when he gets the chance. The wolf yowls in pain when Mark claws down his nose, too distracted to notice Mark going in for his front leg. Mark feels bone grind beneath his teeth and the wolf howls. Mark backs off when he hears answering calls, very close ones.

Mark growls at the wolf who limps back. The wolf doesn't back off so Mark doesn't either. The only time he steps back, is when a different wolf lunges at him from behind a tree. Mark has to duck then, and scramble out of the way. Mark growls at both of them, not liking his odds.

Mark looks around, eyeing the trees. There is something he could do, but he doesn't want to hurt the forest. However, the wolves didn't seem to share the sentiment. The two wolves growl and stalk towards him. They're obviously in a pack considering the way they form.

When the first wolf lunges, Mark is ready. He siddles out of the way, but viciously digs his teeth into the wolf's side. The wolf whines, but Mark doesn't let go until the other wolf barrels into him. Mark lets go and the wolf's fur is singed in his wake. The fox whirls to attack the large wolf, who is already wounded, and misses by a hair when the wolf scrambles away.

The fight between the three of them goes on strong, Mark holding his own thanks to his ability and his speed. The wolves seem to be built more for strength. Mark is too busy attacking the wolves, he doesn't see the hunter coming. So, one moment, he's burning through a wolf's leg, and the next a silver collar is being slapped on around his neck.

Mark chokes, finding himself yanked onto his back. He doesn't like his belly being bared like this, so he scrambles over. He's barely on his stomach when other hunters seem to fall from the sky. Mark struggles, but one of the hunters hit him in the back of his head. Mark's eyes roll and he passes out.

When Mark wakes up, he's in his human form, strapped down to a cold table. A bright light is shining down over him and Mark grumbles, turning his head.

"You're awake," a cold voice says and Mark jolts, turning wild eyes on a hunter. This one is large, made more of muscle than anything else. There's a jagged scar going down the side of his jaw. His eyes are ice blue, cold, and sharp, and entirely focused on the fox spirit he's captured.

"So, little fox, there's something I need from you," the hunter says, running a finger along the table Mark's strapped to.

"Who are you?" Mark asks, hands curling into fists as he tugs at the restraints. They don't give.

"My name," the man says, "is not important. What is important, is a little ball you fox spirits keep on your person," the man finishes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mark says.

The man grins at him before showing Mark his other hand. There's a large knife in his hand, and the man lifts it, running it over the bareness of Mark's chest. He's entirely naked, with a white cloth over his lower half.

"I'll find the foxfire, it all depends on you if it'll be the easy way, or the hard way," the man says.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mark replies, gritting his teeth. The man smiles and Mark sees a golden tooth and a silver one right behind it. The man starts his first cut on Mark's sternum and it only goes south from there.


	7. Chapter 7

When Mark can think again, he's in his human form in a cage. The cage itself is in a room that's entirely lacking in light. He's not even sure if there's a window. Mark looks around and it takes him a moment to realize he's not alone. Well, in his cage he is, but there are other cages in the room.

"So you're awake," a voice says from somewhere in front of Mark. The fox spirit turns and lifts his hand. It takes a moment, but soon a ball of fire starts in his hand. It's much better this way, and he sees the young man sitting in the cage next to him.

The man is young, with dark hair and gentle but handsome features. He's smiling, but it doesn't meet his eyes all that much.

"Who are you?" Mark asks, looking down at the silver cuffs around his own wrists. The young man smiles.

"My name is Jinyoung. Are you alright?" the man asks. Mark frowns until he realizes he's still naked. Jinyoung is naked too, but Mark's the one with angry red scars.

"I'll be fine so long as they don't find my foxfire," Mark admits. Jinyoung nods, but if he knows what foxfire is, or isn't, he doesn't comment on it.

"That's good. I was worried for a moment there," Jinyoung admits.

"Where are we?" Mark asks. 

"In Hell," another voice says and Mark turns. Next to the cage Jinyoung is in, another male sits. He seems to be of medium height, with very strong arms. He's not naked, instead he's wearing a black tank top and matching sweats. His eyes are dark and his eyebrows are strong as he watches them. He sounds more petulant than angry.

"Jackson, that's not very nice," Jinyoung says, shaking his head. Jackson rolls his eyes and huffs, but he doesn't seem as scared as he probably should be. Maybe he's been in here for a while.

"The world is a cruel place dear," Jackson says before turning to Mark, leaning towards him, "so what's your story?" he asks.

Mark looks between the two, aware that they're staring at him, waiting. Mark doesn't have anything to hide, so he tells them. When he stops, both of them look surprised.

"You live in the Enchanted Forest?" Jinyoung asks, his voice holding a breathy lilt to it. Mark's brows furrow and he shrugs.

"I guess? I never really knew the name of it. I was just chased there," Mark admits.

"It has to be the Enchanted Forest. I heard there's a demon wolf watching over it," Jinyoung says. Jackson nods and for some reason, Mark thinks of his wolf.

"A demon wolf?" Mark asks.

"Yeah!" Jackson exclaims, leaning forward to grab the bars of the cage. At least they aren't electric.

"Story has it, the demon wolf is a wolf that's bigger than any other in existence. He takes care of the Enchanted Forest and all the creatures in it. Rumor has it, he can overpower any and all canines. Like the ultimate Alpha," Jackson tells him. The description kind of fits his wolf pretty well. He wonders what the wolf thinks about being called a demon wolf.

"I guess that's where I was," Mark muses.

Jackson and Jinyoung talk more about the forest. Mark puts in some input, mostly commenting on what's true and what isn't. As it turns out, Jackson and Jinyoung are werewolves, which is how they know the story of the demon wolf and his forest. 

Mark learns that the reason they aren't scared, is because they get captured every other week now, for fun. Jackson claims it's "to spicen up their relationship" whilst Jinyoung rolls his eyes, a smile on his lips.

It doesn't take long for Mark to get tired. He's lost a lot of blood apparently, and now the feeling is catching up to him. Falling asleep is rather easy despite being in a cold steel cage. With the silver cuffs on, he won't be able to get away, but that doesn't mean he couldn't bide his time. Until then, he settles down and wonders what his wolf is doing.

Mark wakes up what feels like mere seconds later to the loud chatter of Jinyoung and Jackson. There were other creatures in here, but Mark can't see them. He can, however, smell their fear and excitement. Mark doesn't understand, and finds himself looking towards the 'wolves.

"Dude, I think someone's setting this place on fire," Jinyoung's saying.

"It's literally lit," Jackson says, and he sounds a little awed.

"What?" Mark asks, because how the hell do they know what's happening?

"There's a window, but it's boarded up. There's some space though, look," Jinyoung says, pointing.

Mark does and finds himself looking out towards actual flames. The place they're at appears to be a compound, and the other side of it is lit up in honest to goodness blue flames. Mark has never seen blue flames before, and he's not too sure he's happy to see them now.

"What do we do?" Mark asks.

"Well, my friend, there's not much we can do unless those hunters realize we're pretty damn valuable, especially you," Jackson says.

"Me? Valuable?" Mark asks, confused.

"Yeah! Humans will do a lot for control over a supernatural creature," Jinyoung says and Mark sighs when he realize how true that is. It doesn't help matters that it's rather easy to control him once his foxfire is in their hands. Luckily, the only being Mark trusts has it and Mark doubts anyone could take his wolf down easily.

There's still a lot of nervous chatter going on, but Mark hears it when the door to the room opens. A man falls inside, the one with the ice blue eyes and the gold and silver teeth. He falls in a bloody, singed heap on the floor. Blue fire covers the back of his jacket, slowly turning red, but Mark's not even focused on him.

Instead, he's staring at the man standing in the doorway. He's tall in a rather imposing way, easily filling up the doorway. He steps inside and turns on a light. Mark's surprised at how bright it is, but he still stares.

The man's face is all strength and lines, from his strong eyebrows to his sharp jawline. Honestly, Mark's never really understood the notion of actual people being made of marble, but he could admit the saying fit. The man was wearing a dark blue shirt but it had blood on it. His cargo pants looked like they'd seen better days, but they fit and that's all that seems to matter.

The man walks further into the room, frowning at what he sees. Mark watches as the man begins releasing the others from their cages. He walks as if he isn't worried about the fire not too far from them, but Mark's getting the feeling this man is the reason behind the fire.

When the man gets to them, he crouches in front of Mark's cage and tilts his head. His eyes are golden and Mark finds himself inhaling, searching for a scent. Underneath the strong smell of fire, he recognizes the scent of his wolf. He hadn't even been aware that his wolf had a human form.

"Wolf?" Mark asks, eyes widening when his wolf in human form smiles. His smile is pure wolf and Mark knows that this is his wolf.

"Holy shit," Mark hears Jackson breathe but Mark's too busy watching his wolf, his wolf as a human, open the cage he's in. It's easy for his wolf to break the cuffs, lifting Mark up and out of the cage. When Mark's on his own two feet, the wolf pulls away to release the others. 

"We should leave," his wolf says and Mark had never pictured his voice, but the honeyed voice he's hearing right now fits extremely well. Mark nods, mostly because he's too stunned to really be making proper decisions. His wolf doesn't seem to mind, taking his hand easily and guiding him out. The blue flames are red now, and easily eating up the compound.

The compound actually isn't that far away from the treeline, so Mark's pretty worried about the fire. However, his wolf doesn't seem worried so Mark just follows him.

He belatedly realizes that Jackson and Jinyoung are following them. When they stop, they're deep in what others call the Enchanted Forest whilst Mark just calls it home. Now that they're far away from the compound, he finds his brain catching up with his mouth.

"You're a werewolf?" Mark asks. His wolf turns towards him, brows raised. Apparently, his wolf had been listening to Jackson and Jinyoung talk. Mark hadn't even been aware a conversation was taking place.

"No," his wolf says, shaking his head.

"I-what?" Mark asks, frowning. His wolf frowns too, but Mark isn't sure why until he remembers he has been cut open like a science project. His wolf touches his chest carefully, frowning at what he sees.

"I'm fine, it'll heal," Mark says, wanting to reassure his wolf.

"I should've let him suffer longer," his wolf says, quite calm for such a sentence. Mark laughs a little.

"What's your name?" Mark asks, finding the question to be something necessary, but not. The being before him belongs to Mark no matter if Mark knows his name or not, knows what he is or not.

"My true name or what I've been going by lately?" his wolf asks and Mark cocks his head to the side.

"Both?" it's a question that his wolf doesn't seem to mind answering.

"Lately I've found myself appreciating the name Jaebum," his wolf says.

"But your real name is?" Mark asks. Jaebum looks over at Jackson and Jinyoung for a minute. The two wolves are watching them and Jackson has this peculiar expression on his face.

"What?" Mark asks.

"Dude, you're the demon wolf?" Jackson asks, eyes wide. Jaebum looks at Mark, a confused expression on his face.

"They think you're a demon wolf who protects this forest," Mark tells him. Jaebum snorts.

"Close. My name is Fenrir," Jaebum says and Mark is surprised. Demon wolf sounded like something that could be true, but he'd never suspected his wolf to be a god...or something.

"Holy shit," Jackson says and Mark agrees with him. However, it changes nothing as Mark shrugs.

"How'd you find me?" Mark asks. Jaebum focuses on him again, golden eyes bright.

"Smelled you," Jaebum says, shrugging.

"What do we do now?" Jackson asks. If he's asking Jaebum, he's apparently not going to get an answer because Jaebum starts looking around. Not for a threat or anything, but like he's listening for something.

"We need to lay low for a bit," Jinyoung admits and Mark realizes they're looking for a specific place to stay. Mark looks to Jaebum, his wolf, but Jaebum doesn't seem to care either way. Apparently, the ball is in Mark's court.

"We stick to our true forms, well, as close to them as we can," Mark says, eyeing Jaebum. He's probably bigger in his true form, as a god and all.

"Of course, we prefer that," Jinyoung admits.

"Well, I don't care if you stick with us," Mark admits. Jackson, quite literally, squeals a little. Mark figures it's because he's about to spend time in the Enchanted Forest with a wolf god. Mark wonders how the stories are going to change.

"So, like, is there a designated sleeping spot or something? A particular rock for me?" Jackson asks and Mark groans, regretting his decision already.


End file.
